Articulated railway truck



y 1966 J. c. TRAVILLA ETAL 3,250,231

ARTIGULATED RAILWAY TRUCK Filed Jan. 30, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet l IINVENTORS JAMES C. TRAvaLLA h r l n JAMES B. CUNMiNGHAM A TTOIPA/EI SFIG. 1.

y 966 J. c. TRAVILLA ETAL 3,250,231

ARTICULATED RAILWAY TRUCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30, 1965INVENTORS. JAMES C. TRAVILLA AND JAMES B. CUNNINGHAM a al; A???) EVS y1966 .1. c. TRAVILLA ETAL 3,250,231

ARTICULATED RAILWAY TRUCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 30, 1963 INVENTOR.JAMES C. TEAVILLA AND JAMES B. CUNNlNG AM BY ATTo IVE/S United StatesPatent 3,250,231 ARTICULATED RAILWAY TRUCK James C. Travilla, Ladue, andJames B. Cunningham,

The invention relates to railway rolling stock and consists particularlyin a six-wheel freight car truck.

Numerous types of six-wheel freight car trucks of the separate sideframe type have been in use for many years, the most common types havinga pair of partial side frames at each side supported on the middle axlejournal boxes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a six-wheel freightcar truck in which the middle axle and one end axle support a completeside frame at each side, and each end of the other end axle supports oneend of a partial side frame, the other end of which is supported fromthe main side frame.

It is a further object to provide a six-wheel freight car truck which isequalized, yet is of simple, light weight, and easily-maintainableconstruction.

Yet another object is to provide a truck having one full side frameandone partial side frame at each side supported from the full side frame,with the bolsters guidably supported in the full and partial side framewindows, in which some variations in the lengths of the truck centerside beams can be accommodated without any modifications of the othertruck parts thereby eliminating the necessity of machine finishing thecooperating bolster and truck center surfaces to close tolerances.

The foregoing and additional objects and advantages as will appear fromthe following description are attained by the structure illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

KG. 1 is a top view of a six-wheel freight car truck FIG. 2 is a sideelevation view along line 22 of 7 FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse'vertical sectional view along line 3-3 of FIGS. 1and 2.

FIG. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view along line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view along line 55 of FIG.1.

Referring now to the drawings, the truck embodying the present inventionhas six wheels I mounted in spaced pairs on axles 3, 4, 5, the ends ofwhich are rotatably received within the usual journal boxes 7.

A pair of cast steel side frames 9, each comprising top chord 11, bottomchord 13 spaced vertically therefrom by longitudinally spaced uprightcolumns 15, and including at its ends downwardly open pedestal jaws 17,fixedly receive, within the latter, journal boxes 7 of end axle 3 andmiddle axle 4.

Auxiliary or partial side frames 19 each have a top chord 21, a bottomchord 23 vertically spaced therefrom intermediate its ends by uprightcolumns 25 and 26 which are spaced from each other lengthwise of thetruck to form, with the top and bottom chords, substantially rectangularwindows in the side frame. Longitudinally outwardly of column 25, bottomchord 23 slopes upwardly, to merge with top chord 21 and form, with thelatter, downwardly open pedestal jaws 27, in each of which is fixedlyreceived one of the journal boxes 7 on end axle 5. Bottom chord 23slopes upwardly longitudinally outwardly of column 26, to merge with topchord 21 and therewith form an extension 29 of gen erally downwardlyopen channel cross section extending ice over the middle axle end ofmain side frame 9, receiving the end portion of the latter within itsdownwardly open channel opening, and terminating intermediate the endsof the main side frame.

In the interest of keeping the over-all height of the side frames as lowas possible, and at the same time providing the necessary strength inthe critical area of the auxiliary side frame extensions 29, they arepreferably formed in the manner shown in FIG. 5. The auxiliary sideframes are of box section construction with substantially vertical innerand outer walls 31, and top and bottom walls 33 and 35, respectively. Ateach end of the windows formed in the auxiliary side frames by columns25 and 26 and by top chord 21 and bottom chord 23, the bottom chordslopes upwardly toward the adjacent end of the side frame, in the usualmanner, as at 37 and 39. The lower edges of the side walls follow slope39 to nearly the top of the main side frame middle axle pedestal jaw 17,where they curve as at 41 over the main side frame middle axle pedestaljaws 17 to a substantially horizontal position, as at 43, thus clearingthe middle axle journal box, and providing the greatest possiblevertical depth in the side walls in this region consistent with thenecessity of clearing the journal boxes. Bottom wall 35 follows theslope 39 to a point 45 spaced a short distance lengthwise of the truckfrom the inner extremity of the main side frames, where bottom wall 35extends substantially vertically upwardly as at 47, in spaced relationto the adjacent end of the main side frame, which it follows generally,by curving as at 49,

and terminates in a nearly horizontal end portion 51, extending wellinto auxiliary side frame extension 29, and forming with side walls 31and top wall 33 thereof, a combined box section and channel beam throughthe critical area where the extension merges with the auxiliary sideframe. Further strength is imparted to extensions 29 by the provision ofoutwardly facing flanges or beads 53 along the lower margins of sidewalls 31. Auxiliary side frame side walls 31 terminate in depending andextending brackets 55 inboard and outboard respectively of the top chord11 of main side frame 9, adjacent the window formed therein between topand bottom chords 11 and 13 and columns 15, 15, and the auxiliary sideframes are supported from top chord 11 of main side frame 9 by a pair ofvertical links 57 which are pivoted at their upper ends, by means ofpins 59, to an upstanding boss 61 on main side frame top chords 11 andat their lower ends by means of pins 63 to auxiliary side frame brackets55 so as to support auxiliary side frames 19 at the ends thereof remotefrom their supporting axle 5 and to accommodate some limited relativemovement, lengthwise of the truck, of the main'and auxiliary side framesfor purposes which will appear more fully hereinbelow.

In the windows of the main and auxiliary side frames, on the bottomchords 13 and 23 respectively thereof, are seated coil spring units 65on which are supported the ends 67 of transverse bolsters 69. Toaccommodate links 57 and the cooperating extremities 55 of auxiliaryside frame extensions 29, the top walls of transverse bolster endportions 67 supported on the main side frames, are semicylindricallydepressed, as at 66. Ends 67 of transversed bolsters 69 are provided attheir sides with transversely spaced flanges 71, their opposing surfacesand the intervening transverse surfaces of the bolster being faced withsuitable wear plates 73 for slidable engagement with similar wear plates75 on cooperating guide surfaces 77 of the main side frame columns 15and the auxiliary side frame columns 25 and 25. Transverse bolsters 69are accordingly vertically movable on spring units 65 relative to themain and auxiliary side frames and by slidable engagement of theirflanges and cooperating surfaces with the column guides 77 tend tomaintain the truck elements in square with each other. Spring units 65may be clamped by friction snubbers 78 secured at their opposite ends tobrackets 78a on the side frames outboard of the windows and 78b on theprotruding ends of bolsters 69.

Body load is transmitted to transverse bolsters 69 by a truck centerconsisting of a body engaging pivot center plate 79 supported ontransverse beams 81 which merge at their ends with longitudinallyextending side beams 83, the latter being formed at their end portionswith depending opposing transverse flanges 85 arranged to engageopposite sides of transverse bolsters 69. Bolsters 69 are formed withupstanding abutments 87 and 89 spaced apart transversely of the truck asufficient distance to receive the end portion of truck center sidebeams 83 and thereby position the truck center transversely of the truckrelative to the transverse bolsters. Bolsters 69 are also formed withbrake hanger brackets 88 to provide advantageous sprung support for thetruck brake gear.

By the provision of swing links 57 for supporting auxiliary side frames19 from main side frames 9, any necessity for a machined close tolerancefit of the truck center side beams on the transverse bolsters iseliminated and freer pivotal action, for equalizing purposes, of theauxiliary and main side frames relative to each other is permitted thanwould be permitted ifthe auxiliary side frame ends were supporteddirectly on the main side frames instead of fromthem, as in the presentconstruction.

The details of the truck may be modified substantially without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of suchmodifications as come within the scope of the appended claims iscontemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway vehicle truck comprising three spaced wheel and axleassemblies including two end assemblies and a middle assemblytherebetween, a first pair of separate relatively movable side frameseach supported at one end on the middle assembly and at the other end onan end assembly, a second pair of separate relatively movable sideframe, means supporting one end of each of said second side frames onone of said first side frames intermediate the ends of the latter, eachof said second side frames being supported at its other end on an endassembly other than the one supporting the corresponding first sideframe, each of said side frames having spaced opposing transversesurfaces intermediate said assemblies, a bolster comprising a pair oftransverse elements positioned between said side frame transversesurfaces and having transverse surfaces in vertically slidableengagement therewith to position the side frames transversely andlengthwise of the truck, said means providing relative pivotal movementof said first and second side frames on each side of the truck on anaxis transverse of the truck and relative movement lengthwise of thetruck whereby to accommodate the positioning of said bolster elementsbetween the opposing transverse surfaces of said side frames bolster andsaid side frames.

2. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 1 in which each saidindividual means comprises a link pivotally connected on axes transverseof the truck respectively to a first side frame and to the second sideframe supported thereby the axes being spaced vertically from eachother.

3. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 2 in which both pairs ofsaid side frames are of truss shape having vertically spaced top andbottom chords and longitudinally spaced colums' forming, with saidchords, a window in each of said side frames intermediate the endsthereof, the pivotal support of said links on said first side framesbeing from said top chords above said windows, the ends of said secondside frames supported from said links being of downwardly open channelcross section overlyingly receiving the top chords of said first sideframes.

4. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 3 in which said secondside frames are generally of box cross section having spaced side wallsand spaced top and bottom walls generally defining the upper and lowerlimits of said side walls, said bottom walls being recessed upwardlybetween said side walls adjacent the ends of said first side frames andextending over the top chords thereof, said side walls extending belowsaid bottom walls in the region of said first side frames and formingthe sides of said downwardly open channel cross sections.

5. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 2 wherein the ends of saidsecond side frames supported from said links are of downwardly openchannel cross section overlyingly receiving part of said first sideframes.

6. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 1 in which said bolster isresiliently supported from said first and second side framesrespectively intermediate said opposing transverse surfaces of said sideframes' 7. A railway vehicle truck according to claim 1 in which saidbottom wall terminates short of the end of said extension whereby theend portion of said extension is of a simple channel cross section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,213,206 1/1917Kadel 196 1,241,105 9/1917 Frindt 105183 1,432,929 10/1922 Webb 1051952,259,477 10/1941 Meyer 105196 2,530,495 11/ 1950 Waldvogel 105199EUGENE G. BOTZ, Primary Examiner;

LEO QUACKENBUSH, ARTHUR L. LA POINT,

Examiners.

H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner.

1. A RAILWAY VEHICLE TRUCK COMPRISING THREE SPACED WHEEL AND AXLEASSEMBLIES INCLUDING TWO END ASSEMBLIES AND A MIDDLE ASSEMBLYTHEREBETWEEN, A FIRST PAIR OF SEPARATE RELATIVELY MOVABLE SIDE FRAMESEACH SUPPORTED AT ONE END ON THE MIDDLE ASSEMBLY AND AT THE OTHER END ONAN END ASSEMBLY, A SECOND PAIR OF SEPARATE RELATIVELY MOVABLE SIDEFRAME, MEANS SUPPORTING ONE END OF SAID SECOND SIDE FRAMES ON ONE OFSAID FIRST SIDE FRAMES INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE LATTER, EACH OF SAIDSECOND SIDE FRAMES BEING SUPPORTED AT ITS OTHER END ON AN END ASSEMBLYOTHER THAN THE ONE SUPPORTING THE CORRESPONDING FIRST SIDE FRAME, EACHOF SAID SIDE FRAMES HAVING SPACED OPPOSING TRANSVERSE SURFACESINTERMEDIATE SAID ASSEMBLIES, A BOLSTER COMPRISING A PAIR OF TRANSVERSEELEMENTS POSI-